Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1996/97

Covers combat, reconnaissance, freighter, business, agricultural, and recreational airplane models available from international companies

This carefully produced directory competes with a well-established serial, Jane's All the World's Aircraft (1909^-). The editor for Brassey's, Michael Taylor, has contributed to several Jane's publications. Both works contain the same technical information for aircraft: performance figures, design elements, fuel requirements, manufacturing history, and, for military aircraft, weapons systems. A major difference between the two is the arrangement: Jane's is divided into three major sections--"Aircraft," "Lighter Than Air," and "Aero Engines" ; Brassey's is arranged by type of aircraft--"Combat Aircraft," "Reconnaissance, Electronic and Special Mission," "Airliners, Freighters and Tankers," "Helicopters and Autogyros," "General Aviation," "Recreational Aircraft," "Gliders and Motorgliders," and "Buoyant Aircraft." The arrangement of Brassey's helps users more easily identify and compare types of aircraft; Jane's arrangement allows readers to review types of aircraft used in or manufactured in specific nations.

Both works contain information on aircraft engines, missiles, and airborne radar systems. Arrangement and discussion of missiles and radar systems in Brassey's are better for laypersons wishing to obtain basic information. Both directories have excellent coverage of military aircraft. Illustrations are a most important consideration in both works. Overall, Jane's is better illustrated, having more and better three-dimensional line drawings and more black-and-white photographs of equipment, never relying on models. However, illustrations in Brassey's serve to provide additional views of the same aircraft. Tables are better presented in Brassey's, often being attractively presented against a shaded background. In Brassey's, information is attractively positioned on the page, and the use of different typefaces helps users locate information more easily. Also, typeface size is larger throughout. Both works have complete indexing. Both works use high-quality paper (illustrations show up better on Jane's glossy stock), and both are strongly bound.

Military, aircraft manufacturing, and certain commercial establishments will need both directories in their library. Large academic and public libraries could use both since they complement one another so successfully, but libraries with tight budgets will appreciate the fact that Brassey's is much less expensive than Jane's. Laypersons will find Brassey's more attractive and easier to use; engineers or aircraft technicians accustomed to using Jane's have no compelling reason to change sources.